


A Pyrrhic Victory?

by Shane_for_Wax



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Angst, F/F, Gen, platonic Shakarian
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-13
Updated: 2016-05-13
Packaged: 2018-06-08 05:04:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 527
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6840148
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shane_for_Wax/pseuds/Shane_for_Wax
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Shepard is, and has always been, someone who dives into their work and doesn't let up. She is the wolf that doesn't let up when stalking prey. Sometimes this means an awful sleep schedule friends and 'family' try to help with.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Pyrrhic Victory?

The war room, as it usually was at that time of night, was silent. Save for the hum of the ship itself and the various terminals and the galaxy map smack dab in the middle of everything.

Shane was off to the side, curled up in a corner. She wasn’t sleeping. She should be by all accounts but she wasn’t. Her gaze was firm on the datapad in front of her. Words were strewn across the transparent page. Words that all added up to Shane’s inability to win the war that was taking thousands a day. 

The Commander had said some hours back that she’d be up in the cabin shortly. She didn’t intend to lie, she just had lost track of time. Her fingers were deft as she scrolled through the report in her hand as she stayed bundled up in her hoodie. It was rather cool in the war room at that time of night. Always was. Way to conserve energy. 

What if Shane couldn’t provide a victory? What if she lost Jack? What if everyone on the ship died except for her? It’d be like Akuze all over again but she’d never pick up the pieces once more. Already the vanguard’s stomach was knotting as her thoughts veered into dark and dreary territory. 

Sleeplessness was making it painful to read the reports by that point but she didn’t stop. Not until her eyes had drooped all the way and she’d actually passed out from exhaustion. 

Garrus, in a bid to try to reach the Primarch on proper channels had entered the war room at least an hour into Shane’s sleep. He found himself slightly startled when the dark bundle nearby had stirred. It took his eyes a moment to adjust and notice it was the human he’d met what felt like a lifetime ago. For Shane, it had been. 

A low noise formed in the turian’s throat before he wandered over. Gently, he scooped the Commander up into his arms. He tried not to wake her but he noticed the red glow of her eyes as she slowly opened them to peer at the sniper. Dogtags jangled as Garrus shifted the moderately heavy Commander. He didn’t say a word as he walked out of the war room.

Eventually he had managed to carry Shane up to the cabin. He tried not to wake the biotic sleeping within but Jack stirred anyways. She didn’t say anything, not even a thanks, as Garrus deposited the exhausted Marine onto the bed. The fact that Jack hadn’t said a word was probably better than the opposite. They still weren’t on extremely positive terms. 

However, Shane mumbled something that she probably meant to be a ‘thank you, Garrus’ but didn’t quite reach that. After, she nuzzled into the cool pillow under her head. Then, still in her hoodie and pants, she fell back into a deep sleep. 

Garrus had slipped away long before then and managed to get a hold of the Primarch. One way or another the war was going to be won. And he would do anything to pull some of the burden off of his friend.


End file.
